Wright State to join nationwide bell-tolling to honor Martin Luther King Jr. on 50th anniversary of his assassination

Wright State University will join museums, schools, churches and other institutions from around the nation in a bell-tolling celebration to mark the 50th anniversary of the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

The tolling on Wednesday, April 4, will begin at 7:01 p.m. (EDT) in Memphis, Tennessee, at the National Civil Rights Museum, a complex of museums and historic buildings around the former Lorraine Motel, where King was shot by a sniper on April 4, 1968.

Other institutions will begin tolling their bells at 7:03 p.m., with the ringing designed to ripple out around the nation and the world. Institutions planning to participate include the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., and Boston’s Old North Church, where lanterns were hung in 1775 during Paul Revere’s famous ride.

The bells will chime in at Wright State at the Campus Ministry Center at 7:07 p.m. The 39 bell rings will represent the 39 years of King’s life and pay homage to his legacy.

Students, faculty, staff and community members are invited to meet at the Campus Ministry Center at 7 p.m. to reflect on the solemn moment together.

King, a clergyman, activist and prominent leader of the civil rights movement, received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to end racial discrimination and was known for his “I Have a Dream” speech. In 1986, Martin Luther King Jr. Day was established as a federal holiday.